Α 78-year-old female who presents with a non-resolving pneumonia: what is your diagnosis?

http://ow.ly/QEPL30mLIk4.

A patient who made an impact on how I practice: Severe leptospirosis presenting as ARDS in the ICU.

Severe leptospirosis can be a rare cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure. A patient who made an impact on how I practice was a case of severe leptospirosis (Weil's disease) that presented as ARDS in the ICU. Leptospirosis is an under-reported infectious disease worldwide and should be considered as a cause of ARDS especially in patients with exposure history complicated with diffuse alveolar bleeding (DAH), icteric hepatitis and renal deterioration.

Rheumatoid arthritis associated pulmonary hypertension: Clinical challenges reflecting the diversity of pathophysiology.

The present article reports three clinical cases in order to elucidate the diversity of the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie rheumatoid arthritis associated pulmonary hypertension. The condition's three major causes are: interstitial lung disease, vasculitis, and chronic thromboembolic disease, but it should be noted that the multiple pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, can all contribute to chronic lung disease or hypoxia. The first patient in this report suffered from moderate restriction due to fibrosis and was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension during an episode of life threatening hypoxia.

Acute respiratory failure as primary manifestation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis.

The systemic vasculitides are multifocal diseases characterized by the presence of blood vessel inflammation in multiple organ systems. Their clinical presentation is variable extending from self-limited illness to critical complications including diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and glomerulonephritis. Alveolar hemorrhage is a life-threatening manifestation of pulmonary vasculitis that can rapidly progress into acute respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: do not miss the chance for an early diagnosis.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension most often results from obstruction of the pulmonary vascular bed by nonresolving thromboemboli. Misdiagnosis of the disease is common because patients often present with subtle or nonspecific symptoms. Furthermore, some features in chest imaging may mimic parenchymal lung disease.